Intel’s sixth generation of Core processors, codenamed Skylake, has officially been revealed. The new expanded lineup of also sees a more mobility focused Intel, with the focus of several existing series being realigned for this new purpose.
Skylake will span some 48 different processors across five series. A large portion of these new processors will be destined for mobile devices with the Y-, U-, and H-series processors all geared towards various mobile device form factors. Intel will also be introducing a pair of new Xeon processors for mobile workstations. All told, 36 out of the 48 processors are meant for mobile.
The Core Y-series processors are the new iteration of the Core M, which has now adopted the naming convention of the Atom and Core i series. The Core m3, m5, and m7 will be aimed at small screen 2-in-1 detachables and convertibles, and Intel has also said that it is looking to release a new Compute Stick based on the Core M series. It looks like the low 4.5W TDP on the new Core Y-series (or Core M) will mainly be appearing on tablet devices, with the U- and H- series being reserved for laptops.
The H-series also contains that extremely intriguing unlocked K version of the processor. An unlocked mobile processor is nearly unheard of, and will be interesting to see if the idea will take off. At the very least, Intel is taking care of enthusiasts who also want to mess around with laptops.
Desktop users are not left out as Intel has the S-series of processors for gaming towers, All-in-Ones, and mini-PCs. The S-series will also feature a pair of higher end 91W processors for overclockers and gamers. There isn’t much to say here other than the clockspeed on the unlocked S-series processors starts at an impressive 3.8GHz without Intel Turbo Boost technology, can jump up to a maximum of 4.2GHz. Intel’s new Speed Shift technology will also allow the processor to jump into Turbo Boost mode much faster, although the company has not provided any numbers on how much this will improve performance.
As usual, the new generation of Intel processors will be more power efficient than its predecessors. Skylake will be up to 60-percent faster, and use have up to 60-percent lower active power. The new Intel Integrated Graphics will also feature up to 40-percent better performance over the previous generation. Interestingly, this has translated into an odd combination of at least one Core i3 being paired with Intel Iris graphics.
Intel Skylake brings more than just improved performance. New features include support for Thunderbolt 3 which uses the new USB type-C connector to achieve a variety of tasks. We’ve covered the capabilities of Thunderbolt 3 before, and are curious to see how consumers respond to the previewed capabilities.
New computers powered by the sixth generation Intel processors will begin appearing soon, and we are awaiting news about what manufacturers are doing with it.
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